The Future Belongs to Entertainment: the Internet of Things

The relationship between Entertainment and technology.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” Walt Disney

Minority Report’s Vision of a Future UI

While we were being entertained, we were also being inspired.  So often, technology which seems at first fantastical and far-fetched turns into aspirations, then reality.

Take Star Trek for example; many technologies envisioned in the show have now come to fruition: the Food Replicator exists in the form of 3D printers, the Universal Translator – apps like Voice Translator by TalirApps, Holodeck can be experienced in Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR; the tractor beam has been created by New York University professors and the Phaser is arguably the Dazzler weapon.

Staying in the Sci-Fi realm, from Star Wars we have Battle Droids, Heads Up Display, Holograms, Bionic Hands, Hover craft and robots.

A ‘food replicator’ on Star Trek

“The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art.” John Lasseter

Entertainment is a pervasive part of our lives that impacts us more than we realize.  Entertainment not only envisions how technology can be used, but also must master relevant current & emerging technology.

So… what is an entertainment company’s primary goal?

An entertainment company exists to make connections:

• Connect consumer to content
• Connect the consumer to emotions [entertainment]
• Connect consumers to advertisers [profit] – which is increasingly tough because of consumers’ choices

Juniper Research: “Entertainment is driving the Internet of Things”

So what is the Internet of Things (IoT)?

IoT is essentially when we embed connectivity into everyday objects and those objects are designed with an understanding of the affordances of the web.  Fundamentally, IoT is about connecting disparate objects and systems into larger networks (often the ‘cloud’).

After 20 years in the Entertainment space and an affinity for technology & social media, is it any wonder that IoT excites me?

Excited about IoT, but confused about next steps? We can help!

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